By: Jaclyn Rink, MSCP, LLP.

At McCaskill Family Services, we specialize in academic and neuropsychological evaluations for all ages. I have been a part of MFS for the past 10 years and have conducted over 240 evaluations to support the mental and academic health of individuals and their families. I have first-handedly seen the dramatic impact that our evaluations have on the lives of our patients. In many instances, getting a clear diagnosis and a treatment plan in place can be (quite literally) lifesaving or life-changing. At MFS, we have a step-by-step process that each of our testing specialists follows to offer you the most thorough and personalized evaluation possible.

The last step of the evaluation process is my favorite part. This is where I get to meet with parents one-on-one and discuss the findings from the evaluation. We talk about diagnoses, recommendations, and support, and come up with a treatment plan that best suits the family and addresses individual needs. Here are a few reasons why evaluations are so valued in my eyes as a clinician:

1. Parents are often relieved to finally have answers to their questions. At intake, many parents allude to having a gut feeling that there is a “missing piece” regarding their child’s well-being that they just can’t seem to figure out. At our feedback sessions, parents often breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they now have answers and a plan to help support their child. The mystery has been solved, and their gut instinct validated.

2. We provide families with accurate information so they can better understand their child and how to help them (it’s too easy to find misinformation on the internet). I love debunking myths society has concocted about ADHD and learning disabilities. Did you know that the term ADD doesn’t even exist anymore? Or that you can have a high IQ and still have a learning disability? Psychoeducation is one of the main components of our feedback sessions, and we offer parents our favorite resources to help them gain knowledge and understanding.

3.As a team, we brainstorm academic recommendations that can be used to create a 504 or IEP plan at your child’s school. These interventions are based on our years of experience working collaboratively with the school system, aiming for a top-tier intervention that is best suited for your child. Initiating the IEP process can feel overwhelming for parents, and going into your first meeting with proper documentation and ideas in hand can help relieve some of this stress and set the tone for future intervention. Our goal is to make school a happy and successful environment for your child.

4. We highlight your child’s strengths by understanding the ways their brain works best. Just like adults, children have a profile of strengths and weaknesses, and encouraging focus on their strengths only helps them to continuously build confidence to better cope with their inherent weaknesses. We discuss the ways in which you can make minor changes in parenting, study habits, etc. that can have a major impact on your child’s behavior and learning, based on their brain chemistry.

5. Parents realize it’s not their fault. The reason their child has been having emotional meltdowns at home after school, can’t fall asleep at night, or can’t remember their spelling words (no matter how many times they quiz them) isn’t due to inadequate parenting, but to a fundamental neurodevelopmental issue that is completely out of their control. When they see their child struggling, many parents tell me they feel like they have failed, when really quite the opposite is happening. Many families have already tried different interventions in attempts to impact the situation, knowing in their gut that something was “off” (e.g., making flash cards, Kumon tutoring, behavioral reward systems, therapy, etc.) By seeking out an evaluation, they are actively working towards taking another step in helping their child.

If you are considering an evaluation for your child or someone you love, we are here to assist you. Give us a call at 734-416-9098 and our front office team can answer any questions you may have and schedule an intake with one of our testing specialists.